All posts tagged: Launch

Airbnb’s Brian Chesky plans to launch a new AI lab

Airbnb’s Brian Chesky plans to launch a new AI lab

Published by skeptic

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky has had enough of merely being an artificial intelligence kingmaker. He now plans to back a new AI lab of his own. The news, broken by Bloomberg and confirmed to TechCrunch by a person familiar with the situation, marks Chesky as one of many Silicon Valley machers who are unsatisfied with the models coming out of the frontier labs. While AirBnB has adopted AI coding tools, Chesky said last year it hasn’t struck an LLM partnership because existing products weren’t quite ready. Still, Chesky has plenty of insight. He met Sam Altman in 2006 through Y Combinator, which incubated Airbnb, and stayed in touch. When OpenAI took off, he began meeting regularly with Altman to offer advice about managing a hypergrowth tech company. Chesky, who was reportedly considered a potential OpenAI board member, helped broker Altman’s return to power after its board of directors fired the CEO for lack of candor. Chesky advised Altman on public relations and rallied support for him among Silicon Valley bigwigs. Now, however, he appears to …

DOGE Alumni Launch AI Startup To Target Waste On Main Street – And Already Have Their First Target

DOGE Alumni Launch AI Startup To Target Waste On Main Street – And Already Have Their First Target

Published by Jenni Sidey

Two alumni of the Department of Government Efficiency are bringing their cost-cutting experience from Washington to the private sector, launching Special, a startup that aims to harness artificial intelligence to wring inefficiencies out of what it describes as America’s $10 trillion Main Street services economy. Nate Cavanaugh and Justin Fox spent much of 2025 at DOGE, where they spearheaded the Small Agencies team. Their government stint, under the high-profile effort led by SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, contributed to approximately $215 billion in estimated savings. The pair departed in September 2025. In the spirit of DOGE, Figure Health plans to open source all of its billing claims, allowing the public to have full visibility into our Medicare and Medicaid… – Nate Cavanaugh (@natecavanaugh) June 2, 2026 “Similar to the government, Main Street is massive, highly unoptimized, and provides essential services to Americans. One needs to look no further than childcare learning centers in Minnesota or hospice businesses in California to find immense waste at the state level from businesses that benefit from taxpayer dollars,” …

Tencent Soars Most Since 2022 On Report It’s Set To Launch AI Agent For China’s Most Used App

Tencent Soars Most Since 2022 On Report It’s Set To Launch AI Agent For China’s Most Used App

Published by Jenni Sidey

Tencent shares jumped the most since late 2022 after an FT report that the Chinese company was testing a prototype AI agent for WeChat, China’s most widely used app for everything from messaging and social media to ride-hailing and payments, fueled optimism about the company’s artificial intelligence efforts.  The Chinese internet giant plans to begin a compliance process for a public launch of the agent as soon as this month, the Financial Times reported, citing sources. After that, Tencent plans to test the agent on a small group of outside users before initiating a phased rollout, the newspaper said. Shares of Tencent closed up 10.5%, its biggest jump since November 2022, with turnover at the highest in more than a year. The stock gave a boost to the Hang Seng Tech Index, which rose 4.7%. Users will be able to access the chat box for the AI agent by swiping right on the main WeChat screen, according to a person who has seen an early demonstration. They can then enter instructions for the agent to automatically tap …

New Apple TV and HomePod Mini Are ‘Nearly Ready’ to Launch, New Siri Remote Also Rumored

New Apple TV and HomePod Mini Are ‘Nearly Ready’ to Launch, New Siri Remote Also Rumored

Published by skeptic

New models of the Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini are “nearly ready to go,” according to the latest word from Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman. Both devices have been ready “for months,” but Apple is holding off on launching them until the more personalized version of Siri is available, he said. “I am told the hardware for the next Apple TV set-top box and HomePod mini has been done for months and that both devices are already in active use among employees at the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, California,” wrote Gurman. If you have been closely following Apple TV and HomePod mini rumors, this is a familiar narrative. The revamped Siri is finally expected to launch as part of iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27, which will be unveiled during the WWDC 2026 keynote on Monday, June 8. Following beta testing, the software updates should be widely released in September, so the new Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini models should be available to purchase by then. In other words, the devices are hopefully around …

17 countries, including Singapore, launch framework to protect critical underwater infrastructure

17 countries, including Singapore, launch framework to protect critical underwater infrastructure

Published by Sam Flores

The cross-regional nature of GUIDE reflects countries’ desire to work together on shared security challenges that transcend geographical regions, said MINDEF.   “GUIDE is an example of how geography is not a barrier, and that countries can collaborate in flexible, issue-based groupings to shape the rules and norms in emerging domains,” it added. Mr Chan said: “Today, the waterways are not just avenues for us to conduct our trade, but underneath those waters are also critical underwater infrastructure that connects our energy grid, our telecommunications grid.” He added: “We don’t want a situation whereby such critical infrastructures are disrupted and all of us get the negative knock-on effect … any attack on one part of the network is an attack on the entire network.  “Any disruption on one part of the network is a disruption on the entire network, and that is why it gives us great joy to see so many countries – from Europe to the Middle East to Southeast Asia, Asia Pacific – coming together.” Global communications networks depend on subsea cables, …

Toyota scraps plans to launch one of its most important EVs

Toyota scraps plans to launch one of its most important EVs

Published by skeptic

The low-slung Lexus LF-ZC electric sedan is dead. Toyota is scrapping plans to launch the next-gen luxury EV, which was expected to enter production later this year with advanced new batteries and a dedicated platform. Toyota ends Lexus LF-ZC EV development After unveiling the Lexus LF-ZC concept at the Japan Mobility Show in 2023, Toyota said the production model would arrive in 2026, debuting a slate of new technologies. Like Tesla and several other automakers at this point, Toyota planned to produce it using gigacasting technology that would split the vehicle body into three parts, front, center, and rear, to cut costs. By using advanced new high-performance prismatic batteries, Toyota said it aimed for the electric sedan to achieve about twice the driving range of traditional EVs and significantly faster charging speeds. Advertisement – scroll for more content The digitized Intelligent Cockpit was expected to offer a next-level personalized experience, powered by its new “Arene OS” software platform. Powered by AI, the system acts as a personal companion, providing route and mode recommendations based on …

Apple’s ,000 Foldable iPhone: Features and Launch Timeline

Apple’s $2,000 Foldable iPhone: Features and Launch Timeline

Published by skeptic

Apple is poised to make a significant impact in the foldable smartphone market with the highly anticipated iPhone Fold Ultra. Expected to launch in late 2026, this device represents Apple’s first foray into a competitive segment currently dominated by Samsung and Google. With its premium design, advanced features and seamless integration into Apple’s ecosystem, the iPhone Fold Ultra could redefine expectations for foldable devices and set new benchmarks for innovation and performance. The video below from Talks Daily Tech gives us more details about the iPhone Fold Ultra. Innovative Design and Display Features The iPhone Fold Ultra is rumored to feature a sophisticated book-style foldable design that emphasizes both aesthetic appeal and durability. Apple is reportedly working on advanced hinge technology, potentially inspired by Oppo’s liquid metal system, to address one of the most persistent challenges in foldable devices: the visible crease on the display. If successful, this innovation could provide users with a nearly seamless viewing experience, enhancing both functionality and visual appeal. The device is expected to include a 7.8-inch main display, ideal …

The story of Pope Leo’s ‘landmark’ text on AI technology – by a member of its launch panel

The story of Pope Leo’s ‘landmark’ text on AI technology – by a member of its launch panel

Published by skeptic

For the last few years, I’ve been seconded to assist the Catholic Church’s unprecedented global grassroots listening initiative. Just as that process drew to a close, I received a surprise request: would I help Pope Leo XIV launch his first social encyclical, focused on what it means to be human in a time of artificial intelligence? It is difficult to think of a more important theme right now than the impact of digital technologies, AI and robotics – on every level of our social interactions and structures. The Vatican has addressed technological questions before. My research includes the social teaching of popes since 1891, starting with Pope Leo XIII’s influential text “Rerum Novarum”, which addressed the impact of the industrial revolution on working people (and which this new text commemorates). A range of previous letters have addressed both the opportunities and dangers of technology. Of course, the Vatican does have a chequered history with regard to theological reflection on scientific and medical developments. Over the past decade, it has been pursuing focused and, in my …

Rivian sets official launch date for Rivian R2

Rivian sets official launch date for Rivian R2

Published by skeptic

About two years ago, in March 2024, Rivian showed off its compact SUV, the Rivian R2, for the first time. Now, it’s finally time for the R2 to hit the roads. In a blog post dated Wednesday, Rivian announced the official launch date for the R2 is June 9. The car itself isn’t much of a surprise, given that it could be configured and pre-ordered for a while now, but this is the date when pre-orders turn into orders, and first customer deliveries begin. For the folks who pre-ordered the R2, this means the company will send invitations to actually order the car soon. How soon? Well, that depends on several factors, including the date and time when they first reserved the vehicle, as well as delivery location (areas surrounding Rivian Service and Demo Centers are likely to get an order invitation sooner). Mashable Light Speed The launch comes with some caveats, though. The first vehicle available to order will be the Rivian R2 Performance with Launch Package. The R2 Premium Trim will arrive “in …